My main focus at present is another kids' fantasy novel, longer and featuring more adventure. Working name: "The Quest for the Golden Flowers.".

"The Time Travelers: A Christmas Story," the one on Smashwords, is a work of love for my grandchildren. It was a Christmas present for them a couple of years ago.

I'm presently focusing on a longer, more adventurous book tentatively entitled "The Quest for the Golden Flowers," also inspired by the grandkids. The youngest grandkid, Leyton, had the idea of golden flowers as a theme. During a brainstorming session with the kids, they told me some of things they wanted in their story, like magic powers, dragons, a griffin, and more. When I wondered how to include the older grandkids in the book, the second youngest, Garrett, suggested they all become 10-years-old upon entering the magic realm. Perfect! Their input has made writing "Quest for the Golden Flowers" more fun and challenging than "The Time Travelers; A Christmas Story." The other grandkids involved in the Golden Flowers book are Grayson, Grant, Will, and Mady.

I have recently purchased software from Literature and Latte that has revolutionized my writing. With the help of Scrivener and Scapple (the new software), my writing is more organized and more fun, and I'm more productive because of it. Usually before beginning a new session, I re-read the last section. I do some preliminary editing while reorienting myself. I like a quiet working environment. The TV is always off. I rarely listen to music, but when I do, I play instrumental pieces. I believe it's a must to have a reader to edit and comment. Almost daily, I seek feedback and advice from my husband, Felix. He's creative and knows the mechanics of writing. I count on his editing advice, and his ideas often influence the direction of the story..

Reading. Reading. Reading. I love to read.

Anything and everything, including cereal boxes and children's books.

My all-time favorite is Ann McCaffey of the Pern books, fantasy that does not take place in a medieval setting. Terry Brooks. George RR Martin. -- As you can see, I enjoy fantasy. Usually the best stories out there are under the fantasy umbrella, plus they are usually light on explicit sex and foul language. I'm not a prude but too often lack of talent is trying to hide behind the shock of crudity and sex. These are ploys not necessary for good writers. -- I also enjoy political intrigue. Robert Ludlum is probably my all-time favorite intrigue author, though there are other good ones.

I read very extensively and enjoy an eclectic mix of books and authors. As an avid reader, I'd like to suggest to indie authors that editing and having a knowledgeable reader are paramount. Too much poor usage, bad grammar, and poor sentence structure is present in independently published books. One big suggestion: don't depend on spell checker. It can only tell you when a word is spelled wrong, not when it is used incorrectly. Get someone to edit for you, someone who knows the English language.

My five favorites are all Pern books. It's the dragons, of course.

The Nook was a gift and the only stand-alone e-reader, I have. Love it. I also have Kindle for PC and Adobe for PC. But the PC is an uncomfortable bed partner. I read anywhere and everywhere, but mostly in bed.

Most of the 1500 books on my Nook are downloaded from either Barnes or Smashwords. I'm very frugal and look for cheap books that appear to be interesting. This is a great way to find new favorite authors. Often, enjoying these cheapies results in purchasing other works by the discovered author. Yeah, I know, I have an addiction, but I like knowing I have reading material on hand for any mood.

Not really, but I remember some books from my childhood. One of my favorites would be sooo politically incorrect these days. The title was "Little Black Sambo." I date back to the Dick and Jane era of learning to read. You had to be very enthusiastic to get through that experience with love of reading intact.

I've always loved to write.

No, but I probably have it somewhere. My descendants will find these awful things in one of my storage closets after I leave permanently. Now, there's a question. Do we leave permanently? In everything, there is a story.

It's a creative outlet. I'm a loner, so the isolation of writing appeals to me. But truly, I'm never really alone. I have conversations with strange characters and beings in my mind and am deeply involved in their antics. In my hands rest their fates. Will they exist on paper? Will they be allowed to determine the direction of their stories? Will they meet with disaster or even death? Will they be loveable or hateful? It's all up to me. Well, at least whether they exist on paper. Sometimes they tell their own stories, and I'm just a conduit.

You've heard the saying, "Don't annoy a writer; she'll put you in a book and kill you off." If you don't want to look bad in my book, then don't behave badly. Well, now, that had nothing to do with the question, but there it is.

I grew up on a farm, the only girl in the family. I learned to like being alone and to view reading as companionship, even my own writing.

In this age of laptops my desk is irrelevant. Actually so is my office. Though I have both, days go by between visits to my desk and office.

I can do it myself, and it doesn't cost much. (Costs nothing at Smashwords.)

Although I had a print version, when I learned how to use Smashwords, I was ecstatic. Now I could do an e-version for the grand kids. In my generation, a book in print was exciting. The grand kids, though, are more impressed with e-books. Smashwords is free and easy. (If you read and follow Mark Coker's guide.)

Are you kidding? I'm not a morning person and nothing in early morning is inspiring. I get out of bed because my bladder insists. I love my a.m. shower, but often I head for my computer first and may not find my shower and "daytime clothes" until afternoon. Usually no one comes to the door, but if they do it can be a traumatic experience for them.

Hey, if I have any readers at all, I'm buoyed up by them.

My advice, get a professional. You've worked hard on the text. Don't let the cover make a poor impression.